Was able to get my schedule to work out to go and take my Ham Test was a Spur of the moment thing.. Passed Tech, missed the General by a few will take again on next test session..

Been looking at the database not showing as for 1pm Pacific time Dec 19th I know one other person that took the test that showed up today.

I do have a RR - Restricted Operator and a FRN but could not remember my FRN and My RR was not in my wallet was Tucked away in my Passport as I only need it for International Operation i did not have it with me.

Congratulations in passing your Tech. Taking the General test was a good idea and only missing passing that by a few was still an accomplishment. Now you know what to study for next time. Hope to hear you on the bands. What callsign did they assign you? Once you sign aero-mobile, you'll be getting pile-ups of people wanting to work you. Stay safe out there.

Yea, I normally have a IC-7000 in aircraft I ferry.. Would be awesome to be over the middle of the pacific or on remote islands and make contacts.

I go to Kiribati a lot.

Was passing General practice tests in the mid 80's tried again today after a few days of not doing anything got high 70's on 3 tests. I will study a couple days before the next exam session may even go for extra also while I am there.

Congratulations man!!! Please tell me how much you love that Icom-7000 ??!! That's the radio I want to get when I pass the general ticket and try to get on HF,!! All I hear is rants and raves about this rig I guess because it is all mode with 2 meters and 70cm built in.

Filling out the FAA 337 for my Cessna 150M to get the Antenna system and IC-7000 Installed. Lets hope with in the next couple days I get my Call Sign.

Just Informed that VE's shipped the paperwork FCM not Priority Mail or Express Mail. Assuming they shipped it on the 10th lets Figure 4-5 days transit time from Oregon to FCC that would put receipt at FCC at about the 14th. So 10 business Days processing time should have call sign about the 28th but if you take the holidays in to account may be after the first of the year..

You could look your name up in the FCC database online to see what call they assigned you. You can even download a copy of your license.

Good luck using your radio in the C150. I recommend using some of the less common simplex frequencies on two and six meters, such as 146.50 or 146.55. It will make it just a bit easier to sort out the multitude of replies.

As for lower bands, I wouldn't bother loading up anything longer than 20 meters. I had notions of using the old ADF sense antenna from the roof of the cockpit to the tail of my Cessna Cardinal. However, getting that installed was more money than I wanted to pay. We had much bigger priorities, such as getting the engine rebuilt, and the aircraft painted...

I hope you can pipe the audio in to the aircraft cockpit system. That would be a hoot.

ab3a, I will not show in the online data base till end of the month or first of the month due to their slow shipping of documents. I have installed the IC-7000 in many aircraft under a ferry permit for trans Oceanic Ferry Flights and have a FAA inspector that will do field approvals.

My 170B and my KI214 holding up well.. Had to replace the caps in the King ADF and it is now working well as expected..

Allow me to brag a little bit. When I passed my instrument rating in 1994, I was stuck in a hold by Dulles Approach, I had demonstrated an ILS approach and a VOR approach, and somewhere along the way, my DE forgot to do a partial panel. There was only one approach left.

Yes, I actually did a partial panel NDB approach in to Winchester VA with an off-airport NDB, a partial panel, a clock, and the standard sixpack of instruments. And I got within 1/2 mile of the runway.

I passed. And by the way, I have tried a partial panel NDB approach since then and I usually don't get results that good. Nevertheless ADF receivers do have a special place in my heart...

Good luck using your radio in the C150. I recommend using some of the less common simplex frequencies on two and six meters, such as 146.50 or 146.55. It will make it just a bit easier to sort out the multitude of replies.

Highly recommend this. I've taken my HT to work and, on .52 I can easily be heard 120 mile radius around the plane at 30,000 feet with 5w output and rubber duck antenna. This distance is the only one I've been able to confirm, could go even longer distances.

From the 20 years I've been flying for fun, I know all too well what you can do with a meager 10 watt aviation radio to a unidirectional antenna on the ground. Ranges of 200 nm are routine, even at altitudes as low as a 3000 AGL.. So imagine what might be possible if you were talking to some guy on VHF sideband with an eight element yagi, a preamp, and a hundred watts pointed at you.

I'm also quite curious as to what might be possible using diffraction through weather fronts or storm clouds. It is known to work for hundreds of miles at microwave frequencies; I wonder how far down it might go.

Once upon a time a friend with an EME setup tracked storms using 2M which jogged my memory, VHF is used by military missile tracking and guidance radar. He told the story swelling with pride and I just HAD to take him down a peg, when I told him he reinvented radar the look was priceless.

I Called ARRL Today.. They have not received the paperwork yet? They are aware that the VE has a history of shipping late. According to the VE manual they have to ship with in 10 days via Priority Mail or Faster.

"If the test is being mailed after the 10-day limit, you must include a note explaining why the package was sent late. Always try, especially if mailing on the tenth day, to get a postmark from the post office when you mail your package."

Post Office Says Portland to CT delivery times during Holiday season is 3-4 days. they should have had the paperwork on the 24th at the latest if mailed on the 19th the 10th day.

So,
I may have to head to Tarawa Kiribati, Funafuti Tuvalu, And Nadi Fiji for a job first week of the month then back to the US to for back to back runs to OZ via Honolulu & Tarawa. Then to Kansasto pick up a new Bonanza for another run to OZ east bound via Greenland, Iceland, EU, Egypt, Middle East, India, South Asia, Darwin.

I will try and get my General test done during one of my layover back in the U.S. if I can find a test session would be cool to make contacts all over the world and give me something to do to kill time when between ATC calls and Managing fuel on the 10-15 hour legs.

Now for the legal aspects for the people with knowledge?

I know I am good over international waters, but what about over all these countries I will be over flying?